Method of making car coupler yokes



Oct. 31, 1939. J B, TEGARTY 2,178,150

METHOD OF MAKING CAR COUPLER YOKES Original Filed Feb. 23, 1935 INVENTOR. JOHN D. D's/wry ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 31, 1939 METHOD OF MAKING CAR COUPLER YOKES John B. Tegarty, St. Clair, Mich.

Original application February 23,1935, Serial No. 7,687. Divided and this application May 10, 1937, Serial No. 141,662

2 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved method of making yokes for railway car couplers, and is a division from my co-pending application, Serial No. 7,687, filed February 23, 1935, now Patent 5 Number 2,149,640, granted March 7, 1939.

The preferred embodiment of the invention discloses a yoke comprising a number of simple parts rigidly welded together to provide a strong unitary structure.

In the above identified application, prior methods of making yokes are discussed and the disadvantages of these methods clearly set forth. The principal disadvantage of these prior yokes is that the head portion, which attaches to the shank of the coupler, is a one-piece forging or casting usually riveted to the body of the yoke member. The severe shocks to which these yokes are subjected cause loosening of the rivets, necessitating frequent replacement or atleast a thorough examination of this portion of each railway car.

The principal object of the present invention, therefore, lies in the provision of an improved method of manufacturing car coupler yokes which is far less expensive than the prior yokes now in common use.

Another object is to simplify the method of making such car coupler yokes so that they are better adapted to withstand the severe abuse and at the same time provide a simple construction requiring only a few simple parts which are welded together as a'unit and comprise the yoke.

Other objects and advantages will becomeapparent'from consideration of the following specification and accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a fragmentary perspective view of a coupler yoke as viewed from the upper portion thereof; and

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the coupler shown in Fig. 1, looking from the lower side thereof.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the yoke is shown comprising a heavy flat strip of steel or wrought iron bent substantially midway of its extreme ends in the form of a U to provide a pair of vertically spaced substantially parallel arms I and 2 whichextend forwardly from an integral transverse portion 3. The portion 3, being at the rear of the yoke and providing the abutment which reacts against the car frame during use, may be suitably reinforced by welding a plate 4 in juxtaposition with the inner face of the portion 3, as shown in Fig. 1.

The forward ends of each of the arms l and 2 are offset silghtly toward each other so that extreme end portions 5 and 6, respectively, ex-

tend in a direction substantially parallel to the major portions of the arms I and 2. Thus the vertical space between the end portions 5 and 6 is less than the space between the main portion of the arms I and}. v Interposed between the end portions 5 and 6 and securely welded to the inward faces thereof is a block 8 which is preferably a metal casting or a forging. plurality of vertically spaced forwardly extending tongues it. These tongues extend in a direction parallel'to the end portions 5 and 6 and are preferably substantially the same shape as the said end portions. In the present instance, these end portions 5 and 6 and tongues IE] are semi-circular in shape to permit a free laterally swinging movement of the coupler when it is attached to the yoke. Thus, when the block 8 is in assembled position, the semicircular ends of the portions 5 and 5 provide additional tongues similar to tongues Hi. All of these tongues are vertically spaced and substantially parallel, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The space between adjacent tongues is capable of receiving, suitable tongues or protuberances on the shank portion of the car coupler. The end portions 5 and 6 and tongues iii are provided with aligned openings 2 for receiving a suitable draw pin which, when in installed position, passes through similar openings in the shank portion ofthe coupler for securing the said coupler to the yoke.

On the lower face of the end portion 6 is a finger i3 which-is provided with a horizontally and forwardly extending portiondisposed in vertical alignment with the openings i 2 so that the draft pin, when in assembled position, rests with its lower end on the horizontal portion of the finger l3 so as to limit the downward position of the pin. On the upper face of the end portion 5 is a pair of blocks l5, each block being disposed in laterally opposite sides of the opening l2 and provided with aligned openings I! for the purpose of accommodating a retaining pin for the draft pin to prevent inadvertent removal of the draft pin during use.

From theabove description, it will be seen that an improved method of making car coupler yokes has been described, which is consistent with the objects set forth.

Although but one form of the present invention has been shown and described, it will be ap. parent to those skilled in the art that other forms may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

The block 8 is provided with a Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

l. A method of making a car coupler yoke comprising bending an elongated metal body member of equal thickness throughout its length into U-shape to provide forwardly directed spaced arms, bending the forward end portions of said arms into substantially parallel and in more closely spaced relation than the remaining portion of said arms, welding between the more closely spaced end portions of said arms a rigid head member so that its entire end surfaces are in juxtaposition with the inner parallel faces of said closely spaced arm portions, and providing aligned openings through the forward end portions of the arms and the head member.

2. A car coupler yoke comprising a strip of rolled steel of the same cross section substantially throughout its length and in the form of a U with forwardly extending spaced arms, the forward end portions of said arms being oilset relatively toward each other from the planes of the remainder of the arms and with flat inner faces substantially parallel with each other, a rigid head member disposed between said offset portions with its ends abutting the opposed parallel fiat faces thereof and rigidly Welded thereto over the entire areas of said ends, the forward end portions of said arms and said head member having aligned openings for receiving a coupling member.

JOHN B. TEGARTY. 

